Isaiah 18: 2, 7
Go, swift messengers! Take a message to a tall, smooth-skinned people, who are feared far and wide for their conquests and destruction, and whose land is divided by rivers. ... At that Time (that Day He returns) the Lord of Heaven's Armies will receive gifts from this land divided by rivers, from this tall, smooth-skinned people, who are feared far and wide for their conquests and destruction. They will bring the gifts to Jerusalem, where the Lord of Heaven's Armies dwells (where He is ruling on His Throne).
Isaiah has directed these words to Ethiopia, but who actually is this tall, smooth-skinned nation, an "aggressive nation of strange speech"? (NIV) If we look at the world map of today, there are nations that did not exist in Isaiah's day, so it may not actually refer to the Ethiopa we know today.
When we look at Nations today that are: divided by rivers; populated by a tall, smooth-skinned people; who are feared world-wide for their political, military and financial power, and speak a language much different from Hebrew; I only see one modern Nation that fits this description.
If the Lord should come within our lifetime (which I fully expect He may), then today's map could tell us who this Nation is. Should the Lord tarry until the map changes again, then it could be some other Nation at that time. But I think we need to be aware of the times in which we are living, and be prepared to follow our Lord in whatever He has planned for each of us.
God's ways are not our ways, and when He says to, "Come out of her, my people, that you not participate in her sins, and you do not receive of her plagues" (Revelation 18:4), we must be able to listen to and obey His quiet voice in our spirit, and not just do what seems reasonable to us.
O my Father, strengthen me to be able to do all the things You planned before time for me to accomplish. Help me to grow: spiritually strong in Your wisdom and knowledge of You; in my mind and emotions, to think clearly and love others unconditionally with Your love; physically fit to go where You send me and do the work set before me to do; that my attitudes be those of my Lord Christ Jesus, my words gracious and compassionate; my life an offering to You, Father, to use as You will; that Your Kingdom may come and Your will be done on this Earth, in this World, even as it is now done in Heaven.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
